AIRBUS A319

TYPE: Twin-jet airliner.

PROGRAMME: Short-fuselage A320. Airbus Board officially authorised start of sales 22 May 1992; programme launched 10 June 1993. Final assembly of first aircraft (F-WWDB, the 546th of the A319/320/321 family) began 23 March 1995; rolled out at Hamburg 24 August; first flight (with CFM56-5A engines) on 29 August; second aircraft (F-WWAS, No. 572) flew (with CFM56-5A engines and commercial interior) 31 October 1995; 650 hour flight test programme resulted in initial certification (CFM56-5B) on 10 April 1996 (CFM56-5A and V2500-A5 followed); first delivery. HB-IPV to ILFC on 25 April 1996 and immediately to Swissair on 30 April flying first service on 8 May; F-WWAS re-engined with lAE V2524 engines, first flight 22 May 1996 and certified on 18 December 1996; other 1996 first receipts included Air Inter (F-GPMA 21 June); Lufthansa (D-AILA 19 July); and Air Canada (C-FYIY 12 December). JAA 120 minute ETOPS approval granted 14 February 1997 and extended to ACJ m December 2000. 1.000th member of family (an A319 for Air France via ILFC) delivered 15 April 1999.

CURRENT VERSIONS: A319-100: Baseline version.

Description applies to A319-100.

ACJ: Airbus Corporate Jetliner. Announced at 1997 Paris Air Show. Standard aircraft will carry up to 40 passengers over a range of 6,300 n miles (11,667 km; 7.250 miles), cruising at 12,500 ra (41.000 ft) at speeds of up to M0.82. Certified as a commercial airliner to Cat. IIIb landing criteria and 120-minute ETOPS, and will convert easily to airliner configuration. First customer, announced on 18 December 1997, is Mohamed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi of Kuwait. First aircraft (G-OMAK. 913th of A320 family), type A319-132, first flew 12 November 1998 and delivered to Jet Aviation, Switzerland, for outfitting on 31 December 1998; customer receipt 8 November 1999. operated by Twinjet Aircraft for Al Kharafi. Demonstrator F-WWIC first flew (as D-AVYB) 28 May 1999 and to Toulouse for trials 31 May; is 910th of A320 family, but followed c/n 913.

Other customers include DaimlerChrysler, Italian Air Force (first of two aircraft delivered 7 March 2000; second in August 2000), Finnair, French Air Force (two; first delivered February 2002) and Aero Service Executive (one). Orders and commitments totalled more than 30 by mid-2002, of which 14 then delivered. FAA (FAR Pt 121) certification for both scheduled service and private operation in USA received October 2002.

Set world record non-stop 15 hour 13 minute flight of 6,918 n miles (12,812 km; 7,961 miles) from Santiago to Le Bourget on 16 June 1999. JAR certification (as amendment of A319 certificate) received August 1999.

Airbus announced in 2000 that production of the ACJ would be restricted to four per year until 2003; this was increased to six, due to demand. By mid-2002, six companies were recommended for outfitting; Lufthansa Technik, Hamburg; Jet Aviation, Basle; Air France Industries, Toulouse; Ozark Aircraft Systeras. Bentonville. Arkansas; and EADS Sogerma, Toulouse.

A319LR: Long-range variant of ACJ. Second aircraft for Qatar Airways (two-class layout for 110 passengers) is to this standard; entered service August 2003. Three more ordered by 30 September 2003: two for PrivatAir via CIT (48-seat all business class cabin) and one undisclosed.

A319 Executive: Variant of ACJ. Three ordered by 30 September 2003; two for PrivatAir via CIT and one for Blue Moon Aviation (USA) via SALE.

CUSTOMERS: Total of 925 sold, of which 564 delivered by 31 September 2003, including 17 ACJs

COSTS: Total development cost estimated at US$275 million, entirely financed by Airbus Industrie. A319-100 cost approximately US$48.7 million depending on choice of engines and level of customisation (2001); ACJ cost US$36 million (2001), excluding outfitting of between US$4 million and US$10 million.